Download Owner`s Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
SPEAKER SERIES
ULTRA TOWER
ULTRA BOOKSHELF
ULTRA CENTER
ULTRA SURROUND
Thank you, and congratulations on purchasing your
new SVS Ultra Speaker!
The SVS Ultra series loudspeakers were designed for audio enthusiasts, by audio enthusiasts with over fifty years combined experience in
the high-end audio arena, with a relentless passion for designing a
stunning, acoustically impeccable loudspeaker that convincingly
conveys the emotion of live music and home theater. The SVS Ultra
series delivers a deep, detailed soundstage with incredible resolution,
absolute transparency, and amazingly rich and articulated bass, outperforming speakers two and three times their price.
If you ever have any questions about your SVS product, or need help
setting them up, feel free to contact us directly.
www.svsound.com • [email protected] • (877) 626-5623
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owner’s manual v. 1.1_01282013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS
FOOT OPTIONS
ACOUSTICS & ROOM PLACEMENT
ACOUSTICS
ROOM PLACEMENT
CONNECTION OPTIONS
ULTRA SURROUND WALL MOUNTING
SURROUND MODES (DUET)
SURROUND MODES (BIPOLE & DIPOLE)
CARING FOR YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS
WARRANTY
FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
ULTRA TOWER
ULTRA BOOKSHELF
ULTRA CENTER
ULTRA SURROUND
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4
5
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS FOOT OPTIONS
The Ultra Tower speakers come packaged with two sets of foot support
options that allow optimal placement on a variety of floor substrates. The
Elastomer Isolation feet that come pre-installed on the Ultra Towers can be
removed (unscrew to remove) and replaced with the included Threaded Metal
Spike kit. Both sets of feet are threaded to allow easy leveling of the Ultra
Towers if they should stand on an uneven surface.
Elastomer Isolation Feet
Threaded Metal Spikes
The Ultra Bookshelf, Ultra Center and Ultra
Surround also include stick-on bumper kits that
can be attached to the bottom of your speakers
to protect them when placed on speaker stands
and other surfaces.
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS ACOUSTICS & ROOM PLACEMENT
Front Left/Right Loudspeaker Placement and Room Acoustics:
Proper placement of the front left/right speakers is essential to achieve the smoothest frequency
response, optimal stereo imaging and the most spacious, three-dimensional soundstage.
Stereo imaging and soundstage are affected by loudspeaker location and the listening position,
relative to each other and room boundaries. Moving the loudspeakers away from room boundaries
will tend to improve stereo imaging and spaciousness by attenuating and delaying boundary
reflections, thus optimizing direct sound and helping to preserve spatial information in the
recording.
The amount of exposed glass, drywall and bare flooring in the room will increase the amount of
reflected sound and exacerbate problems like slap echo and ringing. Conversely, furnishings like
carpeting, drapes and upholstered furniture will reduce the amount of reflected sound in the room.
The ratio of direct-to-reflected sound and the decay characteristics of the listening environment will
have a large influence on the ultimate sound quality of any loudspeaker system. Dedicated room
treatments like absorbers, diffusers and bass traps can greatly improve the sound quality of any
listening environment, and are encouraged to extract the absolute best performance from any
high-end loudspeaker system.
SVS recommends starting with the front loudspeakers located 30-degrees to the left and right (i.e.,
a 60-degree total window) of the listening position. Toeing-in the loudspeakers 5-10 degrees can
often improve imaging, however this is also a function of the distance from nearby boundaries and
the ratio of direct-to-reflected sound, so experimentation with toe-in is recommended to obtain
optimal results.
The location of the front loudspeakers relative to nearby boundaries will excite various room modes
(a complex pattern of standing waves with associated peaks and nulls), which will affect the bass
response of the loudspeakers. Generally, placing the loudspeakers closer to room boundaries
(particularly corners) will increase the bass response. Conversely, moving the loudspeakers away
from boundaries and corners will reduce the bass response. Due to the complex interaction of the
loudspeakers with nearby boundaries/corners and your listening position, significant changes to the
bass response can occur with very small changes in either loudspeaker location or listening
position, so experimentation with both placement and listening position is recommended to obtain
optimal results.
A smaller tightly-enclosed listening room with a
Ultra Tower Port Tuning
high amount of 'room gain' (a naturally rising
low-end response) may cause an excessively
strong bass response from the Ultra Tower
model, regardless of its placement location in the
room. If this occurs, insert the included foam
Port Open
port plugs into the port opening of each Ultra
Tower (see diagram). To obtain a good seal,
insert the foam port plug slightly below flush of
the port flare. Inserting the foam port plug
creates a low-Q sealed acoustic alignment, and
results in an earlier roll-off of the bass response.
This will often be a better complement to the
Port Sealed
acoustics of a smaller tightly-enclosed listening
environment, resulting in a more balanced and
natural-sounding bass response.
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS ACOUSTICS (cont’d)
A note about Ultra Tower phase and A/V receiver auto-setup processes.
AUTO EQ - START
MIC INPUT
The Ultra Tower side-firing woofer array is designed to provide a more
accurate in-room bass response than a conventional front-firing tower by
uniformly loading the room, thereby reducing amplitude variations caused by
room modes. Since the woofers are side-firing, the bass at the listening
position is a combination of direct and reflected sound waves.
This may result in a phase warning during the A/V receiver auto-setup
process. If a phase warning is encountered, it does not necessarily mean
there is a problem with the Ultra Tower speaker setup.
While moving the Ultra Tower slightly closer or farther away from nearby
wall boundaries may clear the phase warning, doing so is not required to
obtain optimal bass performance, and the phase warning may be safely
disregarded if the loudspeakers are already located in the preferred room
location.
As a matter of good practice, any time a phase warning is encountered, the
polarity of the wiring at the loudspeaker and amplifier should be doublechecked and corrected as needed.
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS ROOM PLACEMENT (cont’d)
Center Channel Placement
The center channel should be equidistant between the main speakers, and
directly under the video display. To the extent possible, try to match the
tweeter height of the center channel with the tweeter height of the main
left/right speakers. Avoid placing the center channel too close to the ceiling
or floor, as this will cause boundary reflections and degrade the sound
quality.
Surround Speakers
Placement recommendations will vary depending on the specific channel in
question and also the overall surround sound configuration. Below are some
general height guidelines and also lateral placement diagrams for various
surround sound configurations.
Side and Rear surround speakers should be placed 2-3 feet above head level
when seated.
For more assistance on surround setups greater than 7.0, contact our Sound
Experts at www.svsound.com or (877) 626-5623.
0°
30°
90°
110°
22°
0°
22°
30°
30°
22°
30°
90°
90°
90°
110°
110°
DUET MODE
SURROUND
TYPICAL STEREO OR 5.0 SPEAKER
PLACEMENT
22°
110°
135°
150°
150°
135°
DUET MODE
SURROUND
TYPICAL 7.0 SPEAKER PLACEMENT
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS CONNECTION OPTIONS
Conventional Wiring
All Ultra Speakers ship ready for
conventional wiring. With the
jumper straps in place, attach
each Ultra Speaker to a separate
amp channel from your
receiver/power amplifier.
POWER AMPLIFIER
TO
RIGHT
SPEAKER
SPEAKER LEVEL
OUTPUTS
Bi-amping
To Bi-amp any of the Ultra
Speakers, first remove the
jumper straps that come
pre-installed on the terminals.
With straps removed each pair
of binding posts can be
attached to SEPARATE amp
channels of your
receiver/power amplifier.
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POWER AMPLIFIER
SPEAKER LEVEL
OUTPUTS
TO
RIGHT
SPEAKER
Bi-wiring
To Bi-wire any of the Ultra
Speakers, first remove the
jumper straps that come
pre-installed on the terminals.
With straps removed each pair
of binding posts can be
attached to THE SAME amp
channel of your receiver/power
amplifier.
POWER AMPLIFIERS
SPEAKER LEVEL
OUTPUTS
SPEAKER LEVEL
OUTPUTS
SPEAKER WIRE - GAUGE/LENGTH RECOMMENDATIONS
18 gauge (AWG)
< 10ft
16 gauge (AWG)
< 25ft.
14 gauge (AWG)
< 50ft.
12 gauge (AWG)
< 75ft.
SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS
SPEAKER MOUNTING
Ultra Surround:
Select a location on your
wall to mount the Ultra
Surrounds. We recommend
a height of 24-36 inches
about ear level at the
listening position.
Locate the Ultra Surround bracket kit
and mount the smaller of the two
brackets to the back of the Ultra
Surround with the supplied hardware.
The bracket channel should be pointing
downward.
24”-36”
The larger bracket
can be mounted to
your wall.
Attach the included
rubber bumper levelers
To hang the Ultra Surround, lift the
speaker just above the bracket that
was attached to the wall. Carefully
move the speaker in towards the wall
and lower it until the two brackets
engage each other.
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SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SURROUND SURROUND MODES
Duet Mode - Duet mode is a unique configuration which allows a single Ultra Surround
speaker to be used as two independent speakers. This means you can use just two (2)
Ultra Surround speakers, and still have four (4) discrete side/rear surround channels for a
true 7.1 surround setup.
Duet mode is recommended for all home theater systems which have a 7.1 A/V receiver
and use one (1) pair of surround speakers.
Bipole Mode - In bipole mode, both sets of speakers are in phase, which provides a more
localized and directional surround sound effect. Bipole mode is recommended for home
theater systems which have a 7.1 A/V receiver and use dedicated side surround and rear
surround speakers.
Dipole Mode - In dipole mode, both sets of speakers are out of phase, which provides a
more diffuse and non-directional surround sound effect. Dipole mode is recommended for
home theater systems which have a legacy 5.1 A/V receiver and use one (1) pair of
surround speakers which are mounted directly to the sides of the listening position.
For Duet mode, perform the following steps:
• Remove the jumper straps as shown in the below diagram.
• For the right side surround, connect the amplifier wires to the lower (Duet 2) binding posts.
• For the right rear surround, connect the amplifier wires to the upper (Duet 1) binding posts.
• For the left side surround, connect the amplifier wires to the upper (Duet 1) binding posts.
• For the left rear surround, connect the amplifier wires to the lower (Duet 2) binding posts.
1
1
2
2
SIDE SURROUND CHANNELS
Remove
Straps
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REAR SURROUND CHANNELS
SETTING UP YOUR ULTRA SURROUND SURROUND MODES (cont’d)
Bipole Mode
Bipole mode is the factory default configuration. For bipole configuration, perform the
following steps:
• Attach the jumper straps as shown in the below diagram.
• Connect the amplifier wires to the lower (Duet 2) binding posts.
Straps must be
attached
Dipole Mode
For dipole configuration, perform the following steps:
• Remove the jumper straps (failure to do so could damage the amplifier).
• Install the dipole wiring kit as shown in the below diagram.
• For the right surround channel, connect the amplifier wires to the lower (Duet 2) binding posts.
• For the left surround channel, connect the amplifier wires to the upper (Duet 1) binding posts.
LEFT Surround
(connect to upper binding posts)
Remove
Straps
DIPOLE CABLE KIT
RIGHT Surround
(connect to lower binding posts)
Remove
Straps
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CARING FOR YOUR ULTRA SPEAKERS
Your Ultra Speakers may be gently cleaned as follows:
• Use a dry microfiber duster to remove any loose surface dust.
• Use a water-damp microfiber cloth to remove fingerprints, smudges and other
contaminants. Wipe in one direction only, and for wood finishes wipe with the
grain.
• Follow any damp cleaning immediately with a dry microfiber cloth. Again dry
wipe in one direction only, and for wood finishes dry in the direction of the grain.
• For piano gloss finishes, consult a furniture restoration professional to remove
any micro-scratches, swirl marks and drinking glass rings.
5-YEAR UNCONDITIONAL WARRANTY
SVS offers the industry's most comprehensive warranty on all our products. SVS
warrants these Ultra Speakers and all of its products to be free from defects in the
workmanship for 5 years from date of purchase.
This, and all of the SVS customer Bill of Rights can be viewed online at
www.svsound.com/bill-of-rights.
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ULTRA SPEAKER FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
ALL SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. SVS IS CONSTANTLY WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR PRODUCTS
AND GIVE YOU, THE CUSTOMER, THE BEST LISTENING EXPERIENCE FROM YOUR PURCHASE.
ULTRA TOWER
Frequency Response and Electro-Acoustic Data:
• Rated bandwidth: 28 Hz-32 kHz (± 3 dB).
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
• Sensitivity: 88 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz).
• Recommended amplifier power: 20-300 watts
Loudspeaker Physical Description:
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 45" x 13.8" x 16.25", 114.3 x 35 x 41.3 cm.
• Weight: 75.4 lbs., 34.2 kgs.
• Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts.
• 3.5” wide-flared rear-firing port.
• Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system.
Driver Array and Technical Highlights:
• 1" tweeter features FEA-optimized diffuser and aluminum dome.
• 6.5" midrange driver features composite glass-fiber cone, aluminum shorting ring, cast
aluminum basket and vented voice coil former.
• 8" woofer features aluminum shorting rings, long stroke motor and suspension and a
vented voice coil former.
ForceFactor Woofer Array:
• Dual 8" side-firing horizontally opposed UltraSonic woofers results in mechanical force
cancellation, enhanced modal density and reduced distortion for a smooth, accurate bass at
all listening locations.
SoundMatch Crossover Network:
• 3.5-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace
printed circuit boards.
• Unique tapered midrange array minimizes off-axis lobing and enhances radiated sound
power into listening space.
• Top midrange-to-tweeter crossover: 2 kHz.
• Bottom midrange taper frequency: 950 Hz.
• Dual midrange-to-woofer crossover: 160 Hz.
Cabinet Construction Technical Highlights:
• Separate sealed midrange enclosures minimize top-to-bottom wall dimensions and shift
standing waves beyond the driver pass band, minimizing negative driver interaction and
associated frequency response degradation.
• Non-parallel cabinet panels reduces axial standing waves within the cabinet, reducing
frequency response coloration.
• Acoustically transparent and FEA optimized grilles, wedge-shaped front baffle and
flush-mounted drivers all contribute to reduced edge diffraction and improved on-axis high
frequency response.
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ULTRA SPEAKER FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
ULTRA BOOKSHELF
Frequency Response and Electro-Acoustic Data:
• Rated bandwidth: 45 Hz-32 kHz (± 3 dB).
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
• Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz).
• Recommended amplifier power: 20-150 watts
Loudspeaker Physical Description:
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 14.9" x 8.5" x 10", 37.8 x 21.6 x 25.4 cm.
• Weight: 19 lbs., 8.6 kgs.
• Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts.
• 1.7” rear-firing port.
• Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system.
Driver Array and Technical Highlights:
• 1" tweeter features FEA-optimized diffuser and aluminum dome.
• 6.5" woofer features composite glass-fiber cone, aluminum shorting ring, cast aluminum
basket and vented voice coil former.
SoundMatch Crossover Network:
• 2-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace
printed circuit boards.
• Crossover frequency and slopes optimized for excellent off-axis polar response, outstanding phase coherency, and total radiated sound power.
• Tweeter-to-woofer crossover: 2 kHz.
Cabinet Construction Technical Highlights:
• Precision CNC-manufactured cabinet with extensive internal blocking and bracing,
resulting in no resonances and excellent rigidity.
• Acoustically transparent and FEA optimized grilles, wedge-shaped front baffle and
flush-mounted drivers all contribute to reduced edge diffraction and improved on-axis high
frequency response.
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ULTRA SPEAKER FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
ULTRA CENTER
Frequency Response and Electro-Acoustic Data:
• Rated bandwidth: 45 Hz-32 kHz (± 3 dB).
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
• Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz).
• Recommended amplifier power: 20-225 watts
Loudspeaker Physical Description:
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 8" x 22" x 10", 20.3 x 55.9 x 25.4cm
• Weight: 31 lbs., 14.1 kgs.
• Dual gold-plated 5-way binding posts.
• Dual 1.7” rear-firing ports.
• Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system.
Driver Array and Technical Highlights:
• Vertically aligned tweeter and midrange improves horizontal axis polar response, with
reduced lobing and comb filtering.
• 1" tweeter features FEA-optimized diffuser and aluminum dome.
• 4" midrange driver and 6.5" woofer features composite glass-fiber cone, aluminum
shorting ring, cast aluminum basket and vented voice coil former.
SoundMatch Crossover Network:
• 3-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace
printed circuit boards.
• Midrange-to-tweeter crossover: 2 kHz.
• Midrange-to-woofer crossover: 500 Hz.
Cabinet Construction Technical Highlights:
• Precision CNC-manufactured cabinet with extensive internal blocking and bracing,
resulting in no resonances and excellent rigidity.
• Acoustically transparent and FEA optimized grilles, wedge-shaped front baffle and
flush-mounted drivers all contribute to reduced edge diffraction and improved on-axis high
frequency response.
14
ULTRA SPEAKER FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
ULTRA SURROUND
Frequency Response and Electro-Acoustic Data:
• Rated bandwidth: 58 Hz-32 kHz (± 3 dB).
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
• Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300-3kHz).
• Recommended amplifier power: 20-250 watts
Loudspeaker Physical Description:
• Dual Baffle Surround Loudspeaker
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 14" x 12.3" x 5.4", 35.6 x 31.2 x 13.7 cm.
• Weight: 18 lbs., 8.1 kgs.
• Dual independent gold-plated 5-way binding posts.
• Cloth grille with pin/cup retention system.
• Aluminum wall mounting bracket with safety catch feature to help prevent inadvertent
removal.
Driver Array and Technical Highlights:
• 1" tweeter features FEA-optimized diffuser and aluminum dome.
• 5.25" woofer features composite glass-fiber cone, aluminum shorting ring, cast aluminum
basket and vented voice coil former.
Unique Surround Sound Operating Modes:
• Bipole mode (both sets of drivers in phase).
• Dipole mode (both set of drivers out of phase).
• Duet mode (each set of drivers receives a discrete signal, creating two separate speakers
within one cabinet).
• Duet mode allows true 7-channel surround sound with just one pair of surround speakers.
SoundMatch Crossover Network:
• 2-way crossover with premium-grade capacitors, air-core inductors and heavy-trace
printed circuit boards.
• Dual isolated crossover networks allows for bipole, dipole or unique Duet mode.
• Crossover frequency and slopes optimized for outstanding total radiated sound power.
• Tweeter-to-woofer crossover: 2 kHz.
Cabinet Construction Technical Highlights:
• Non-parallel cabinet panels reduces axial standing waves within the cabinet, reducing
frequency response coloration.
• Acoustically transparent and FEA optimized grilles, wedge-shaped front baffle and
flush-mounted drivers all contribute to reduced edge diffraction and improved on-axis high
frequency response.
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SVS
6420 Belmont Ave.
Girard, Ohio 44420
United States
(877) 626-5623
www.svsound.com